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Atapattu appointed Sri Lanka coach

Atapattu, who has played in 90 Tests and 268 ODIs for Sri Lanka, has been involved with the team for the past three years as the batting coach and has been appointed as the head coach.

Marvan Atapattu, the former Sri Lanka batsman, was appointed the head coach of the national team on Friday (April 25). Ruwan Kalpage, the former off-spinner, will be the interim assistant coach.

The appointments of Atappattu and Kalpage have come on the heels of Paul Farbrace resigning as the coach of Sri Lanka to take a position as assistant coach with the England side.

Sri Lanka Cricket said both Atapattu, 43, and Kalpage, 44, have been appointed for Sri Lanka’s upcoming tour of Ireland and England, and South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka that will follow.

Atapattu played in 90 Tests and 268 One-Day Internationals for Sri Lanka, making his debut in 1990 and retiring in 2007. He has been involved with the Sri Lanka team for the past three years as the batting coach, and in March this year, he was appointed the assistant coach.

Kalpage played international cricket between 1992 and 1999, with 11 Tests and 86 ODIs to his name. He had applied earlier for the position of the head coach in late 2013, with Fabrace eventually landing the job.

Sri Lanka’s next assignment will begin with two ODIs in Ireland on May 6 and May 8, followed by the series against England, which comprises a solitary Twenty20 International, five ODIs and two Tests, with the second and final Test starting on June 20.

South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka will take place in July, and will consist of three ODIs followed by two Tests.